


the ribbon which entwines our fingers

by nsykdk



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Teddy Bears, and erblu just wants people to be happy, apos really just wants to spend time with erblu, erblu / apos is honestly just really sweet, hospital au, i don't play the game but that doesn't mean i can't love ain, i like to imagine erblu smiling while eating, literally just fluff, oh yes nurse erblu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-21 17:31:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13745856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsykdk/pseuds/nsykdk
Summary: Wander lands himself in hospital, again - and Apos has no qualms about taking care of his younger brother......Well, that's a given if it means he's allowed to see Erblu again.[Hospital AU where Erblu is Wander's favourite nurse and Apos is his secret admirer]





	the ribbon which entwines our fingers

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Yes, I tagged right; I don't play this game but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate Ain...!  
> (it's an AU anyway so it's okay if I make them slightly OOC)
> 
> Anyway! Please enjoy!

The stilled bustle of the hospital opens to allow entrance as Apos steps in, cloth bag clutched tightly in hand as he hurries to the stairs; taking them two at a time. It takes him only a minute to scale the stairs to the fifth floor, then the hurried steps to Room 506, where he hears the soft chatter of nurses and patients and the laugh of a single child.

Wander brightens when Apos enters; eyes dancing, smile growing. He is toying with the little teddy bear with the green ribbon, which he hugs close to himself as Apos sits beside him on the bed. It isn't a scene he is unfamiliar with; although, too often, he but sees a small ball of Wander with a handful of medications and tears streaking down his cheeks.

"Hello, Apos," a soft voice calls, and both turn to see the drab blue of a nurse's uniform. "Wander's looking good today."

Apos finds the slightest smile creeping to his face as his eyes meet bright green. "Erblu. Hello."

With Wander's long history at the hospital, Erblu always seems to find time to stop by if he has a break while on shift. Sometimes, he brings the stuffed bear that Wander loves from the childrens' ward; delighting in Wander's, and consequently Apos's, happiness. It is no wonder, then, that Erblu is by far the only nurse which makes Wander smile with ease and get his medications down without a hassle.

Erblu's eyes dance as he leans against the small table littered with Wander's belongings and medication; pats Wander's head lovingly.

"And how are you today, dear?" Erblu smiles as Wander brightens from the touch, welcoming Erblu's presence.

As Wander describes his symptoms to Erblu, Apos finds himself watching on without a word to add in; seeing how Wander twists the ribbon of the bear in his hands, the way Erblu nods and smiles and begins unlocking the medicine cabinet. Erblu has long been a mystery to Apos - the way he can so naturally smile and converse with any patient, including his reclusive brother earns him a little spot of respect in Apos's heart.

"If you're doing that well, you'll likely be discharged next week," Erblu is saying when Apos returns to the conversation. He's holding the drawer as he finds the correct medication and replaces the rest; all while smiling softly at Wander.

(Sometimes, in his dreams, Apos wishes he were the target of that smile.)

When Wander has had his medication, Erblu plops down beside Apos on the side of the bed after shutting the curtains around them.

"How are you, Apos?" He knows Erblu means it kindly, but it's a strange question to grasp - not when Erblu is the one who drives Apos to head to even the most boring of classes, to hurry out to visit Wander a little earlier.

...Not that he'd ever tell that to Erblu himself.

So he describes his unwillingness to head to classes that plague him on the days that there is no Wander nor Erblu to lift his spirits, the all-encompassing sleepiness that follows him throughout his waking hours, the inability to do anything but fiddle in the kitchen for hours on end instead of doing the assigned homework from each lesson.

He is not allowed - technically - to bring food for Wander while he is within hospital grounds, but Erblu turns a blind eye to the lunch boxes he brings so long as he receives one too. And Apos is happy to oblige, especially when he describes his twenty-hour shifts with only a few hours of rest in between; especially when he receives a heartfelt note on Wander's table and a smile when their eyes next meet.

Erblu smiles ever so brightly; brushing Apos's hand softly when he hands over a box from his bag. "Thank you, Apos."

And then his break is over, and he opens the curtains and begins to fuss over Wander like the exchange hadn't happened - because it hadn't, not in the eyes of everyone else.

Wander watches with decreasing energy as Erblu begins his rounds with the rest of the patients in the room, returning to playing with the ribbon.

When Erblu whisks himself out of the room, he gifts one last glance to Apos and Wander; one last smile. "I'll see you two tomorrow."

 

* * *

 

Wander clutches at Apos's side during the entire bus ride home, his other shaking hand holding the bag of medication tightly. As always, he'd had to leave the bear with the ribbon behind, and it always leaves a bear-shaped hole inside Wander for days after he is discharged. At its worst, Wander begs Apos to stay home even if both have classes, and they lie in bed for most of the day comforting each other.

But this time, it feels- different.

Perhaps it had been Erblu's frequent visits, or maybe Wander beginning to tire, but a little bubble of happiness stops Apos from succumbing to the sleepiness that often takes him during the long rides.

The flickering light in front of their apartment welcomes them with a dull sort of sarcasm, revealing a small box placed delicately beside the door only as they step in. Apos lugs it inside, tucking it beside the box of tissues on his desk as he draws the covers over a sleepy-eyed Wander.

There is no name on the outside, and Apos cuts open the tape with a kitchen knife.

Inside lies - and Apos feels his heart flutter a little when he sees it - a little teddy bear, much less worn than the one at the hospital, complete with a bright green ribbon tied around its neck. Beside it, Apos picks up a floral-scented piece of paper.

_For Wander_ , Apos reads, running his fingers over the inked letters, _his name is Blühen_.

Apos tucks the bear beside Wander, who holds it tenderly in his half-sleep.

_Blühen_  - the German word for _bloom_  - and, if Apos remembers correctly, a word from which _erblühen_ -  _Erblu_ - is derived.

Apos finds the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips as he turns the paper over, finds a string of numbers.

A phone number.

His hands shake as he dials it, then presses the phone to his ear.

It rings once, twice, then it is picked up.

" _Hello? Erblu speaking_ ," he hears, and Apos feels a little swell of happiness as he hears the voice.

"Erblu?"

And then he hears a laugh; Erblu's gentle, tinkling laugh over the line.

" _Hey, Apos_."

**Author's Note:**

> Random AU-related headcanons:  
> Apos  
> > can cook really well even though he doesn't look like it  
> > Wander seems to be learning from him but he gets sick so often that Apos is worried that he's going to make Erblu sick too if he works in the kitchen while he's cooking  
> > somehow even though he doesn't care about classes (as a uni student) he still gets good marks  
> > he probably studies languages. or something of the sort  
> > probably had some sort of past he doesn't like but doesn't talk about it  
> > looks + sounds emotionless but he actually just wants to be fawned over by Erblu
> 
> Wander  
> > his immune system is low so he catches almost anything and everything  
> > basically he's in the hospital so often that his school marks suffer intensely but Apos coaches him through what he's missed most of the time
> 
> Erblu  
> > survives on instant food most of the time  
> > can probably cook but his job takes so much out of him that he just gets home (which is probably really close to the hospital anyway), eats and sleeps  
> > appreciates Apos giving him real food  
> > probably takes on back to back 20 hour shifts because he loves taking care of patients (Apos worries about this too much)
> 
> Feedback + comments appreciated!  
> For more please see this [link](https://rebellionstars.carrd.co/)  
> ...Or find me on Twitter [here](https://twitter.com/nijiiro_kisetsu) !


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